With galloping inflation and very pessimistic forecasts for the coming weeks, the French expected to see food prices explode in March, but the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire tried to reassure them on Monday morning. “There will be no red march, there is no reason for there to be a red march,” hammered the minister on BFMTV, referring to fears of a price spike after the annual negotiations of the supermarkets with their suppliers.
These negotiations must be concluded by March 1 at the latest. They are traditionally tight, but are all the more so this year in an inflationary context (energy, transport or raw materials) which weighs on the margins of all players.
They concern all products with a so-called “national” brand (Danone, Lu, Mondelez, etc.). Private label products (Brand Repères, Produits U or Carrefour, etc.) are not affected.
“We are going to stay at price levels which are very high”, but “there is no reason for prices to ignite from March”, explained Bruno Le Maire, who will receive distributors ” in the coming days” to see how to limit the impact of inflation “on the basket of compatriots”.
“I don’t know if [the outcome of the discussions] will be an anti-inflation basket,” he added, opening the door to abandoning this “basket” consisting of products from about 50 categories “in best quality price report “. “It will be what distributors will find most useful and efficient. »
